Portable soap dispensing bottle

ABSTRACT

A portable soap dispenser apparatus having a container bottle for liquid soap  11  having a lanyard  14  with a slider cord locking device  15 , which can be used to suspend the soap bottle from typical shower appurtenances, with means of storing said lanyard for portability while not in use.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention

This invention relates to a soap dispensing bottle for portable use, including an adjustable lanyard for suspending the soap dispensing bottle from typical shower appurtenances while in use, and means for storing the adjustable lanyard when not in use.

Background of the Invention

Public showering is frequently necessary at facilities such as exercise gyms, schools, dormitories, and other facilities where a group of people live, or work, or exercise together. In these situations, an individual needs to have soap available for washing where others are also washing or have been washing. To provide for this, some facilities have permanent soap dispensers installed at each shower location for use by each bather. However, some facilities do not provide permanent soap dispensers, or may not keep them filled regularly, or the individual bather may prefer their own brand of soap due to preferences of fragrance, allergies, etc. In these cases, it would be beneficial to have a portable soap that the individual could bring into the shower for their own personal use while bathing.

Portable soap for use in a public shower presents a problem concerning where to rest the soap while in use. Normally a public shower facility does not provide a shelf for setting a bar of soap due to cleanliness and hygienic concerns. A bar of soap also becomes soft and water saturated with use, and cannot be left to dry out in a public facility when the individual finishes bathing. Obviously, a liquid soap in a closed container is preferable for washing in these situations. Hence the popularity of the current “body wash” and “shower gel” type products, which are portable for carrying in and out of a public showering facility without having a soft and messy wet bar of soap.

However, a liquid soap in a public shower facility still presents a problem to the bather concerning where to rest the soap bottle while in use. Placing a soap bottle on the floor of a shower, or just outside the shower presents issues with personal hygiene. Also, a soap bottle on the floor presents safety concerns of a possible tripping hazard, or even a risk of falling from leaning over to place the soap bottle on the floor. Ideally, a portable soap dispenser would allow the bather to suspend the soap bottle in the shower without having to set it down.

Typically, any shower station includes appurtenances such as an outlet water shower nozzle and a water control valve device extending outward from the wall. A properly configured portable soap dispensing bottle as described herein for the present invention will allow a soap bottle to be suspended from these typical shower station appurtenances, thus improving hygiene, safety, and convenience for the bather.

In the prior art, several possible apparatus for portable soap dispensing have been disclosed:

Weinbaum, U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,566 discloses a portable liquid soap bottle apparatus that can be suspended from the neck of the bather while in the shower. This apparatus does indeed allow the bather to utilize a liquid soap without needing to set a bottle down. However, this invention does not provide a form that is easily packaged for sale in a store with other liquid soap products. This invention also presents some concern of a potential choking hazard with a bulky soap bottle suspended around the neck, and some hygiene concerns with a bottle in constant contact with the skin while bathing.

Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,587 describes a multi-compartment portable soap container for holding a bar of soap, shampoo, and hair conditioner. The Miller design also provides for an elongated rope loop for draping around the bathers neck, which again has the same deficiencies with safety and hygiene as with the Weinbaum patent. The Miller patent is also based on a single container having a plurality of subcompartments, which is not conducive to providing a container for selling in a store as part of a disposable soap container.

Multiple other inventions have sought to provide portable containers that are intended for carrying a bar of soap, or dispensing of hand sanitizer, etc, however none of these prior inventions provide for a portable soap dispensing bottle which can be suspended from typical shower station appurtenances, thus improving hygiene, safety, and convenience for the bather, and in a configuration that can be sold as a disposable bottle filled with liquid soft soap or shower gels.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Objects and Advantages

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a portable soap dispensing bottle which can be suspended from typical shower station appurtenances, thus providing improved hygiene, safety, and convenience for the bather.

The apparatus of the invention has the additional object and advantage of providing a portable soap bottle which can be economically sold as a single purchase disposable bottle which is pre-filled with the liquid soap of the bather's choice, or alternatively re-filled and used with multiple soap re-fills.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, the invention is an apparatus for containing and dispensing liquid soap, which is designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, and provide the previously stated objects and advantages.

The preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention comprising a liquid filled soap dispensing bottle having a continuous loop lanyard attached to the soap dispensing bottle with a slider cord locking device affixed to the lanyard, such that the lanyard can be used to suspend the soap bottle from typical shower appurtenances, and the slider cord locking device can be used to secure the lanyard in place. The lanyard may be either affixed to the bottle with a stationary anchor, or alternatively the lanyard may be affixed to the bottle with a recoil mechanism to store the lanyard when not in use.

Typical shower appurtenances consist of a water flow and temperature control valve handle, or multiple handles in the case of separate cold and hot water valves, and a shower discharge nozzle. Typically these shower control valve handles and shower discharge nozzles are anchored into the wall of the shower extending outward toward the bather such that the lanyard of the apparatus of the invention can be used to suspend the apparatus from these appurtenances. In the case of the shower discharge nozzle, these nozzles are normally angled downward toward the bather, such that a loose lanyard cannot be used to suspend the apparatus. In this event, the slider cord locking device can be used to tighten the lanyard around the shower discharge nozzle to suspend the soap bottle securely in place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be better understood and its objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a portable soap dispensing bottle in accordance with the present invention with the lanyard extended outward;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a typical shower unit showing the portable soap dispensing bottle of the present invention in use, with the apparatus suspended from a typical shower nozzle;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a typical shower unit showing the portable soap dispensing bottle of the present invention in use, with the apparatus suspended from a typical shower control valve handle;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the portable soap dispensing bottle of FIG. 1, showing one means of storing the lanyard in packaging for sale, and by the bather between uses;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an additional embodiment of the invention showing a compartment for storing the lanyard in packaging for sale, and by the bather between uses. This compartment for storing the lanyard may include a recoil mechanism for additional convenience.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now, referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like matter throughout, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 an embodiment of the invention wherein the portable soap bottle apparatus is designated by the numeral 100. The portable soap bottle apparatus 100 includes a container bottle for liquid soap 11 having an outlet nozzle 12 and an anchorage ring 13, which attaches the container bottle to a continuous loop lanyard 14. The continuous loop lanyard is provided with a slider cord locking device 15, which can be used to tighten the lanyard around an object.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a typical shower station having a shower water discharge nozzle 201, and a shower water control valve handle 202, which are typical shower appurtenances extending from a shower wall 203. In this drawing is shown the portable soap bottle apparatus 100 suspended from the shower water discharge nozzle 201 by using the slider cord locking device to tighten the lanyard securely around the shower water discharge nozzle.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a typical shower station having a shower water discharge nozzle 201, and the shower water control valve handle 202, which are typical shower appurtenances extending from a shower wall 203. In this drawing is shown the portable soap bottle apparatus 100 suspended from the shower water control valve handle 202 by looping the lanyard over the valve handle.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the portable soap bottle apparatus 100 showing one means of storing the lanyard by looping the lanyard 14 over the bottle outlet nozzle 12, and tightening the cord locking device 15 to retain the lanyard around the outlet nozzle.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein the portable soap bottle apparatus is designated by the numeral 200. The portable soap bottle apparatus 200 includes a container bottle for liquid soap 21 having an outlet valve 22 and an anchorage ring 23 for a continuous loop lanyard 24, which extends outward from a storage compartment 26. The lanyard is provided with a slider cord locking device 25, which can be used to tighten the lanyard around an object. Alternatively, the storage compartment 26 may include a recoil type mechanism for storage of the lanyard when not in use. 

I claim:
 1. A portable soap container comprising: (a) a liquid soap container bottle having at least one outlet nozzle; (b) a continuous loop lanyard attached to said bottle; (c) a slider cord locking device attached to said lanyard.
 2. A portable soap container comprising: (a) a liquid soap container bottle having at least one outlet nozzle; (b) a continuous loop lanyard attached to said bottle; (c) a slider cord locking device attached to said lanyard; (d) a compartment for storage of said lanyard.
 3. The portable soap container apparatus of claim 2, wherein the compartment for storage of said lanyard includes a recoil mechanism. 